MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

8/2 Silva placed on 15-day DL

Carlos Silva, removed from Sunday’s game because of an abnormal heart rate, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday so he can be evaluated by a cardiologist. Silva said this isn’t the first time he’s experienced a quick heart rate but thought the problem was simply game-related adrenaline.

“There needs to be some evaluation and tests done instead of putting some sort of quick timetable and everyone saying, ‘When is he going to pitch?'” acting manager Alan Trammell said Monday. “At no time was he ever in any life-threatening situation.”

Silva, 31, remained in Denver overnight Sunday and flew back to Chicago Monday afternoon. He will be examined by specialists, including Chicago cardiologist Mark Upton.

What happened at Coors Field on Sunday?

“When I was throwing my bullpen, I was feeling like my heart was beating very fast,” Silva said.

Assistant athletic trainer Ed Halbur went to the mound after Silva faced two batters but the pitcher stayed in the game. After giving up hits to the next two batters, Cubs catcher Geovany Soto signaled to the dugout and head trainer Mark O’Neal went to the mound and Silva was pulled.

“That’s the last thing you want to do is come out of the game,” Silva said, trying to spare the overworked bullpen from another long day. “Before, when that happened, I’d take deep breaths and try to calm down and that’s what I had in my mind is if I did that, I’d be fine. It kept getting worse and worse.”

The Cubs medical staff was unaware Silva had heart issues before but it could be because Silva never mentioned it and was able to get it under control. He’s also experienced the increased heart rate in non-game situations.

“I always thought it was something like adrenaline or being anxious being in the game,” he said. “The thing was it always went away.”

Now, the Cubs want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“It was a very scary moment,” Silva said. “I was feeling bad but when they put me in the ambulance, I think it was the first time I ever put my family before baseball. The only thing I could think of was my kids, my family. It’s very tough to be in that situation.”

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